Dr. Ben Carson's mother, Sonya Carson, died on Monday, the secretary of U.S. Housing and Urban Development announced in a Facebook post that paid tribute to Sonya Carson's legacy.

"Although she came from an impoverished background with very little formal education, she somehow understood how success was achieved in our society," Ben Carson wrote. "If anyone had a reason to make excuses, it was her, but she absolutely refused to be a victim and would not permit us to develop the victim mentality either."

He also included the poem, "Yourself to Blame," which he said Sonya Carson would quote to him whenever he made an excuse.